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121-549: The Single-Six is currently produced as the New Model Single-Six. The term "New Model" simply means that this model includes Ruger's transfer bar mechanism for increased safety, allowing one to carry the revolver safely with all six chambers loaded. Prior to 1973, the Single-Six was produced without the transfer bar mechanism, making it less safe to carry with all six chambers loaded, and with the hammer resting on

242-562: A safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling. Safeties can generally be divided into subtypes such as internal safeties (which typically do not receive input from the user) and external safeties (which typically allow the user to give input, for example, toggling a lever from "safe" to "fire" or something similar). Sometimes these are called "passive" and "active" safeties (or "automatic" and "manual"), respectively. External safeties typical work by prevent

363-600: A "half-cock" notch safety but the design was revised in 1983 due to numerous inadvertent discharges. The M1 Garand created a safety with a metal rocking lever at the front of the trigger guard that is now called the Garand-style safety , used in the Ruger Mini-14 rifle and Marlin Camp carbine . Some bolt-action rifle safeties have three positions: "fire" which allows the gun to fire, "safe" which does not allow

484-559: A .22 LR cylinder and .22 WMR cylinder, allowing the use of both cartridges. The .22 Short and .22 Long cartridges can also be fired in the Long Rifle cylinder. For those models that ship with both cylinders, the last 3 digits of the serial number are engraved on the front of the cylinder; only cylinders that have been properly timed should be used with any given revolver. The term Super Single-Six refers to those models which have fully adjustable target sights. In 2011 Ruger introduced

605-600: A block to prevent them from contacting the firing pin. In addition some manual safeties such as the Ruger SR9 pictured lock the pistol's slide closed when in Safe position whereas, for example, S&W M&P manual safeties do not lock the slide closed. The benefit of these design variances have not been clearly stated or pointed out by manufacturers, however, in the Ruger SR example, a chambered round cannot be ejected to empty

726-459: A button under the slide, whereupon tension from the striker spring would push it back to the engaged position. Thus, engaging the safety also relieved some tension in the striker spring. As the Ortgies is a pocket pistol meant for personal defense, this feature eliminates the problem of failing to disengage the safety when one needs to shoot. Gripping the pistol tightly is all it takes to disengage

847-472: A chambered cartridge. A second purpose is to allow the sear to "catch" a hammer that is falling when the trigger has not been pulled, such as in cases where a drop jarred the sear loose or when the hammer was not fully cocked before being released. However, a safety notch used to "half-cock" a firearm is an active feature that must be engaged, and does not positively prevent accidental discharges in all cases. A certain amount of manual dexterity and familiarity with

968-403: A decocker, manual safety, or both. However, the exact configuration depends on handgun type, year, make, and model. Double-action only (DAO) pistols, which usually use designs similar to traditional double-action but without the ability to remain cocked, do not usually have external safeties. Most single-action revolvers have no external safeties. The original designs, which dated to back before

1089-501: A discharge, with internal safeties preventing non-trigger-pull discharges (e.g., dropping the gun). Almost all modern semi-automatic handguns, except some exact replicas of antique models, have some form of safety mechanism including a "drop safety" that requires a trigger pull to discharge a cartridge. Single-action designs such as the Colt 1911 virtually always incorporate a manual safety, while traditional double-action pistols incorporate

1210-463: A feature, and as a result if the trigger was held the newly chambered round would be fired as soon as the breech had been closed. Such disconnects or interlocks are generally simple to incorporate, and in fact are a by-product of many firearms' actions; pulling the trigger while the breech is unlocked or open does nothing as the mechanism is not fully reset until cycling is complete. As such these features are often not considered "true" safeties, although

1331-458: A firearm is also required to "half-cock" a firearm; unfamiliarity with how to engage the "half-cock" position can result in accidental discharges. Moreover, safety notch and "half-cock" style safeties are prone to breakage which can result in unintentional discharges leading to severe personal injuries or death. A firing pin block is a mechanical block used in semi-automatic firearms and some revolvers that, when at rest, obstructs forward travel of

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1452-421: A fresh cartridge from the magazine and feed it into the firing chamber. At the forward end of its travel, the slide locks into the barrel and is ready to fire again. However, if the fired round was the last in the magazine, the slide will lock in the rearward position, which notifies the shooter to reload by ejecting the empty magazine and inserting a loaded magazine, and facilitates (by being rearwards) reloading

1573-406: A hammer follows the bolt carrier group forward as it closes. Examples of the variety of typical semi-auto mechanisms are a stiff double-action trigger pull with the safety off ( Beretta 92F/FS ), a double-action with no external safety ( SIG Sauer P-series , or Kel-Tec P-32 ), or a crisp single-action trigger pull with a manual safety engaged ( M1911 , FN Five-seven and certain configurations of

1694-413: A hammer, so the only way to return the trigger to its longer pull (safer) state is by means of a decocking or detensioning lever which actually releases the tension in the striker's spring without allowing firing pin full travel and internal safeties disengagement (such as the firing pin block which these types of firearms are generally fitted with). When a handgun is fitted with a "decocking" lever, there

1815-622: A limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol ( ICQB ). Maintaining the simple recoil assembly, 5-inch barrel (though using a stainless steel match grade barrel), and internal extractor, the ICQB is not much different from Browning's original design. In July 2012, the USMC awarded Colt a $ 22.5 million contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols to replace

1936-470: A loaded chamber indicator is an empty chamber flag . A trigger disconnector captures the hammer in the cocked position after a shot has been fired, even if the trigger is held to the rear as the gun cycles. This ensures the gun can only fire in the semi-automatic mode, as the trigger needs to be released to 'reset' and have the disconnector release the hammer back to the trigger sear. It also prevents out-of-battery " slamfire " malfunctions that occur when

2057-485: A loaded chamber under the hammer. Some single-action revolvers have relief cuts in between cylinder bores that allow the hammer to be rested directly upon the cylinder with no chance of interacting with loaded cartridges or primers. These are also known colloquially as "safety notches." They are usually found on black-powder revolvers, but there are also metallic cartridge-firing revolvers with safety notches. Most double-action revolvers have no external safety devices;

2178-399: A loaded chamber. The transfer bar safety allows the revolver to fire only when the trigger has been pulled. Ruger provides the transfer bar safety upgrade free of charge for owners of any old model Single-Six, though this may come with a significant trigger-feel penalty. The New Model Single-Six is currently chambered in .22 LR , .22 WMR (.22 Magnum), and .17 HMR (initially offered with

2299-474: A low end of around $ 400 for basic models imported from Turkey ( TİSAŞ and GİRSAN ) and the Philippines ( Armscor , Metro Arms, and SAM Inc.) to more than $ 4,000 for the best competition or tactical versions (Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk Custom, and Staccato). Due to an increased demand for M1911 pistols among Army Special Operations units, who are known to field a variety of M1911 pistols,

2420-517: A magazine disconnect, as a backup gun for law enforcement officers. "The absence of a magazine disconnect safety also is a benefit for tactical reloads that allow the user to engage a target with one round remaining in the chamber and the magazine out of the gun for reloading," Ruger said. A tactical reload is the tactic of replacing a partially empty magazine with a fully loaded magazine in a situation where increased capacity might be needed. These safeties, similar to grip safeties, are de-activated as

2541-688: A manual safety in its function, but is momentary; the safety is deactivated only while the shooter maintains their hold on the grip, and is reactivated immediately once the shooter releases it. The M1911 design is a popular example of a handgun with a grip safety, while the Uzi submachine gun and the HS2000 (marketed in the US as the Springfield Armory XD ) and its descendants are other notable examples of this type of safety. A related grip-type safety

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2662-501: A mechanism that engages an internal safety such as a firing-pin block or trigger disconnect. An early example of its use was in the Browning Hi-Power pistol. As with any firearm feature, there is debate regarding the necessity of a magazine disconnect. Historically, most magazine-fed firearm designs had no magazine disconnector. There are exceptions, notably Ruger rimfire rifles and some of their newer handgun designs, and

2783-436: A natural consequence of the shooter firing the firearm, but are engaged in most other circumstances. The trigger is composed of two interdependent parts, and the shooter in firing the firearm manipulates both parts of the trigger. Conversely, unintentional pressure or a strike against the trigger is unlikely to do so, and such an action will not fire the firearm. Such a design, made popular by Glock pistols but originally used in

2904-476: A rope lanyard. The metal buckle and fittings were in gilded brass. The buckle had the seal of the U.S. on the center (or "male") piece and a laurel wreath on the circular (or "female") piece. The pistol was a standard-issue M1911A1 that came with a cleaning kit and three magazines. From 1972 to 1981 a modified M1911A1 called the RIA M15 General Officer's Model was issued to general officers in

3025-402: A second cylinder in .17 HM2 ). Barrel lengths include 4 + 5 ⁄ 8  in (120 mm), 5 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (140 mm), 6 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (170 mm), 7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (190 mm), and 9 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (240 mm), available in both blued and stainless steel . Ruger manufactures several "convertible" models that ship with both

3146-494: A self-loading pistol that would culminate in the official adoption of the M1911 after the turn of the decade. Hiram S. Maxim had designed a self-loading rifle in the 1880s, but was preoccupied with machine guns . Nevertheless, the application of his principle of using cartridge energy to reload led to several self-loading pistols in 1896. The designs caught the attention of various militaries, each of which began programs to find

3267-605: A series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st-century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs, but design and supply time was limited. Discovering that the Los Angeles Police Department was pleased with their special Kimber M1911 pistols, a single source request was issued to Kimber for just such a pistol despite the imminent release of their TLE/RLII models. Kimber shortly began producing

3388-563: A single pistol over the course of two days. When the gun began to grow hot, it was simply immersed in water to cool it. The Colt gun passed with no reported malfunctions, while the Savage designs had 37. Following its success in trials, the Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, when it was designated "Model of 1911", later changed in 1917 to "Model 1911", and then "M1911" in

3509-519: A single-action decocker was the Vis wz. 35 "Radom" redesign in 1932 to enable horsemen to safely holster their firearm with one hand. The earliest use of a cocking/decocking lever is the Sauer 38H from 1938. Ruger until 2007 manufactured "decock-only" variants of its P-series pistols, and the "two-way" decocking safety has been available on these pistols since their introduction. Many jurisdictions such as

3630-501: A single-stack magazine (which makes for a thinner pistol that is, therefore, easier to conceal), personal defense, target shooting, and competition as well as collections. Numerous aftermarket accessories allow users to customize the pistol to their liking. There are a growing number of manufacturers of M1911-style pistols and the model continues to be quite popular for its reliability, simplicity, and patriotic appeal. Various tactical, target and compact models are available. Price ranges from

3751-404: A spring-loaded pad that forms the upper portion of the trigger face and manipulates a similar lock. This design has more moving parts, but is advantageous in that accidental pressure on the lock release has reduced leverage thus requiring more force to pull the main trigger, where force against the lower portion does not release the lock and will not move the trigger. The loaded chamber indicator

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3872-409: A stipulation that M1911A1s should have serial numbers higher than 700,000 with lower serial numbers designated M1911. The M1911A1 changes to the original design consisted of a shorter trigger, cutouts in the frame behind the trigger, an arched mainspring housing, a longer grip safety spur (to prevent hammer bite ), a wider front sight, a shortened hammer spur, and simplified grip checkering (eliminating

3993-595: A sufficiently firm trigger pull will always result in firing. The heavy trigger pull required to cock and then fire the firearm usually prevents accidental discharges due to dropping or mishandling the gun. Most modern double-action revolvers have an internal safety, either a hammer block or a transfer bar, that positively prevents firing without the trigger being pulled. The only modern double-action revolvers with external safeties are unusual cases available only on special order or modified through aftermarket conversions. Pistols made and imported by Glock Ges.m.b.H. , such as

4114-592: A suitable one for their forces. In the U.S., such a program would lead to a formal test at the turn of the 20th century. During the end of 1899 and into 1900, a test of self-loading pistols was conducted, including entries from Mauser ( C96 "Broomhandle" ), Mannlicher ( Mannlicher M1894 ), and Colt ( Colt M1900 ). This led to a purchase of 1,000 DWM Luger pistols , chambered in 7.65mm Luger . During field trials, these ran into some problems, especially with stopping power . Other governments had made similar complaints. Consequently, DWM produced an enlarged version of

4235-458: Is a device present on many semi-automatic handguns intended to alert an operator that there is a round in the chamber. It is typically a small button or pivoting lever (though sometimes a rod, such as on the Ruger series of .22 LR handguns, which are not slide pistols), generally located just behind the ejection port on the slide of the handgun that pops up to indicate the presence of a round in

4356-452: Is a switch, button or lever that, when set to the "safe" position, prevents the firing of a firearm. Manual safeties are as varied as the designs of firearms themselves, but the two most common mechanisms are a block or latch that prevents the trigger and/or firing mechanism from moving, and a device that disconnects the trigger from the firing mechanism of the firearm. Other designs may block the hammer or striker from forward movement or act as

4477-400: Is moved into place by the normal action of the trigger, providing similar "drop safety" to a firing pin block. Popular on bolt, pump and lever-action firearms such as shotguns and rifles, a bolt interlock disengages or blocks the trigger if, for any reason, the bolt/breech is not in its fully closed, ready position. A variation is the trigger disconnect which prevents the gun from firing until

4598-410: Is no need to pull the trigger while holding the lever like in a revolver. The actual process of "decocking" the gun is done by simply flipping the decocking lever to its "decocked" position with the fingers away from the trigger. A decocker or manual decocking lever allows the hammer to be dropped on a live cartridge without risk of discharging it, usually by blocking the hammer or retracting or covering

4719-528: Is noted for its unusual extended slide stop which was specified by Norwegian ordnance authorities. Twenty-two thousand were produced between 1914 and 1940 but production continued after the German occupation of Norway in 1940 and 10,000 were produced for the German armed forces as Pistole 657 (n) . Between 1927 and 1966, 102,000 M1911 pistols were produced as Sistema Colt Modelo 1927 in Argentina , first by

4840-627: Is produced under contract by Springfield Armory for the FBI regional SWAT teams and the Hostage Rescue Team. This pistol is made in batches on a regular basis by the Springfield Custom Shop, and a few examples from most runs are made available for sale to the general public at a selling price of approximately US$ 2,700 each. On March 18, 2011, the U.S. state of Utah —as a way of honoring M1911 designer John Browning , who

4961-403: Is that determining whether the gun is safe becomes linked to the presence of the magazine as opposed to actually checking the gun, opening the action, and making sure it is unloaded." Another concern is that if fatigue, debris or rust cause the disconnect mechanism to fail, it will most likely do so in the "fire" condition. Further arguments are that functionally without a magazine the firearm

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5082-493: Is the decocking grip found on some H&K pistols like the P7 Series . The firearm is cocked and ready to fire only when the front of the grip is squeezed by the operator. When the grip is released, the firearm is decocked, and the single-action trigger will not cock the firearm, therefore it will not fire unless the grip is squeezed and the trigger pulled. Alternatively, the trigger can first be pulled and then it will fire when

5203-539: Is useless except as a club. Without the disconnect feature, a gun owner or police officer who accidentally releases the magazine in a gunfight would still be able to fire the bullet in the chamber; if a magazine was lost or otherwise not available, then at least the gun could be chambered with a single round to be used as a single-shot firearm. A Pro variant of the Ruger LC9s was introduced in December 2014, without

5324-675: The Burroughs Adding Machine Co. , Winchester Repeating Arms Company , and the Lanston Monotype Company , but the signing of the Armistice resulted in the cancellation of the contracts before any pistols had been produced. Battlefield experience in World War I led to some more small external changes, completed in 1924. The new version received a modified type classification, M1911A1, in 1926 with

5445-613: The Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares . A similar gun, the Ballester–Molina , was also designed and produced. The M1911 and M1911A1 pistols were also ordered from Colt or produced domestically in modified form by several other nations, including Brazil (M1937 contract pistol), Mexico (M1911 Mexican contract pistol and the Obregón pistol ), and Spain (private manufacturers Star and Llama ). World War II and

5566-460: The Glock 17 , incorporate a design with three levels of integrated safety, known as safe action ; there are no external safety switches on these handguns. First, an integrated trigger latch prevents the trigger body from moving unless the trigger is positively squeezed. Second, the gun's striker-firing mechanism is locked in place by an extension bar linked to the trigger; the striker cannot move unless

5687-511: The HK USP ). An alternative are striker-fired or " safe action " type firearms which have a consistent trigger pull requiring force greater than required by a single-action design, but lighter than needed for a double-action trigger. Many such firearms do not have an external safety or external hammer ( Glock pistols and the Walther P99 and variants). In both cases a trigger pull always sends

5808-570: The SIG Sauer M18 to replace the M45A1. The Marines began the roll out of the M18 in 2020. The replacement was completed by October 2022. Since its inception, the M1911 has lent itself to easy customization. Replacement sights, grips, and other aftermarket accessories are the most commonly offered parts. Since the 1950s and the rise of competitive pistol shooting, many companies have been offering

5929-616: The Single-Ten and in 2012 they introduced the Single-Nine . Both of these revolvers are stainless steel variants of the Single-Six design with fiber optic sights. The Single-Ten is chambered in .22 Long Rifle, with ten chambers and a 5.5 inch barrel, whereas the Single-Nine is chambered in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (.22 WMR), with nine chambers and a barrel length of 6.5 inches (170 mm). From 1984 to 1997 Ruger chambered

6050-694: The Springfield XD and the Heckler & Koch USP , the M1911 shows no signs of decreasing popularity and continues to be widely present in various competitive matches such as those of USPSA, IDPA , IPSC , and Bullseye . In 1986, the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) at Marine Corps Base Quantico began customizing M1911A1s for reconnaissance units. The units served in a new Marine Corps program Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) (MEU(SOC)). The pistol

6171-484: The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit began looking to develop a new generation of M1911s and launched the M1911-A2 project in late 2004. The goal was to produce a minimum of seven variants with various sights, internal and external extractors, flat and arched mainspring housings, integral and add-on magazine wells, a variety of finishes and other options, with the idea of providing the end-user a selection from which to select

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6292-693: The XM9 trials, eventually leading to the official adoption of the Beretta 92F on January 14, 1985. By the late 1980s production was ramping up despite a controversial XM9 retrial and a separate XM10 reconfirmation that was boycotted by some entrants of the original trials, cracks in the frames of some pre-M9 Beretta-produced pistols, and despite a problem with slide separation using higher-than-specified-pressure rounds that resulted in injuries to some U.S. Navy special operations operatives. This last issue resulted in an updated model that includes additional protection for

6413-443: The firing pin before releasing the sear . This eliminates the need to pull the trigger or to control the fall of the hammer; however, since all mechanisms can fail, it is still necessary to keep the muzzle of the gun pointed in a safe direction while decocking. A decock/safety is a combination manual safety switch and decocking lever. Two popular variants exist. In the "three-way" system, made popular by Heckler & Koch pistols,

6534-445: The firing pin , but is linked to the trigger mechanism and clears the obstruction to the pin just before the hammer or striker is released. This prevents the firing pin from striking a chambered cartridge unless the trigger is pulled, even if the hammer is released due to a faulty sear or the gun is dropped or struck by another object. A hammer block is similar to a firing pin block. It is a latch, block or other obstruction built into

6655-461: The "Double Diamond" reliefs). These changes were subtle and largely intended to make the pistol easier to shoot for those with smaller hands. No significant internal changes were made, and parts remained interchangeable between the M1911 and the M1911A1. Working for the U.S. Ordnance Office, David Marshall Williams developed a .22 training version of the M1911 using a floating chamber to give

6776-592: The .22 long rifle rimfire recoil similar to the .45 version. As the Colt Service Ace , this was available both as a pistol and as a conversion kit for .45 M1911 pistols. Before World War II, 500 M1911s were produced under license by the Norwegian arms factory Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk , as Automatisk Pistol Model 1912 . Then, production moved to a modified version designated Pistol Model 1914 and unofficially known as " Kongsberg Colt ". The Pistol M/1914

6897-440: The 1897 Iver Johnson Second Model Safety Hammerless revolver , incorporates a trigger with a spring-loaded lever in its lower half. This lever which protrudes from the trigger face must be fully depressed in order to disengage a lock that allows the main trigger body to move. Unintentional pressure against the top of the trigger without pressing the lever does not disengage the lock and the trigger will not move. Other designs include

7018-619: The 1911's basic field strip), beating the Colt OHWS , a much-modified M1911. Dissatisfaction with the stopping power of the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge used in the Beretta M9 has actually promoted re-adoption of pistols based on the .45 ACP cartridge such as the M1911 design, along with other pistols, among USSOCOM units in recent years, though the M9 has been predominant both within SOCOM and in

7139-428: The 1911A1 in service with some units past 1989. The 1911A1 has never been completely phased out. Modernized derivative variants of the M1911 are still in use by some units of the U.S. Army Special Forces , U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy . The M1911 pistol originated in the late 1890s as the result of a search for a suitable self-loading (or semi-automatic) pistol to replace the variety of revolvers in service at

7260-445: The 1940s. The same basic design has been offered commercially and has been used by other militaries. In addition to the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), models chambered for .38 Super , 9×19mm Parabellum , 7.65mm Parabellum , 9mm Steyr , .400 Corbon , and other cartridges were offered. The M1911 was developed from earlier Colt semi-automatic designs, firing rounds such as .38 ACP . The design beat out many other contenders during

7381-465: The DWM design over the Colt and Steyr entries. In any case, a series of field tests from 1907 to 1911 were held to decide between the Savage and Colt designs. Both designs were improved between each round of testing, leading up to the final test before adoption. Among the areas of success for the Colt was a test at the end of 1910 attended by its designer, John Browning. Six thousand rounds were fired from

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7502-409: The M1911 as a base model for major customization. These modifications can range from changing the external finish, checkering the frame, to hand fitting custom hammers, triggers, and sears. Some modifications include installing compensators and the addition of accessories such as tactical lights and even scopes. A common modification of John Browning's design is to use a full-length guide rod that runs

7623-538: The M45 MEU(SOC) pistol. The Marine Corps issued the M45A1 to Force Reconnaissance companies, Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) and Special Reaction Teams from the Provost Marshal’s Office. The new 1911 was designated M45A1 or "Close Quarters Battle Pistol" CQBP. The M45A1 features a dual recoil spring assembly, Picatinny rails and is cerakoted tan in color. In 2019, the USMC selected

7744-577: The New Model Single-Six in .32 H&R Magnum (which allows the use of .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long cartridges). Ruger reintroduced this caliber option in 2002, and in September 2014 released the Single-Seven in . 327 Federal Magnum as well, in a seven-shot stainless steel variant, with barrel lengths of 4.62 inches (117 mm), 5.5 inches (140 mm), and 7.5 inches (190 mm). Safety (firearms)#Transfer bar In firearms ,

7865-479: The State of California require some form of "drop safety" on all new firearms, which are usually passive safeties designed to reduce the chance of a firearm accidentally discharging when dropped or roughly handled. Such safeties generally provide an obstacle to operation of the firing mechanism that is only removed when the trigger is pulled, so that the firearm cannot otherwise discharge. Drop tests were introduced with

7986-543: The U.S. Armed Forces in the Korean War and the Vietnam War , where it was used extensively by tunnel rats . It was used during Desert Storm in specialized U.S. Army units and U.S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalions (Seabees) , and has seen service in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom , with U.S. Army Special Forces Groups and Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Companies. However, by

8107-541: The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. From 1982 to 1986 the regular M1911A1 was issued. Both came with a black leather belt, open holster with retaining strap, and a two-pocket magazine pouch. The metal buckle and fittings were similar to the M1916 General Officer's Model except it came in gold metal for the Army and in silver metal for the Air Force. After World War II, the M1911 continued to be a mainstay of

8228-410: The U.S. State of California passed legislation in 2006 requiring magazine disconnects on all new handgun designs sold in the state starting January 1, 2007, which has resulted in their widespread availability in other jurisdictions as well. The arguments in favor of a magazine disconnect are that if the gun cannot fire without a magazine, then an accidental discharge can be prevented if someone removes

8349-510: The U.S. and other countries continue to use (often modified) M1911A1 pistols including Los Angeles Police Department SWAT and S.I.S., the FBI Hostage Rescue Team , FBI regional SWAT teams, and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment—Delta ( Delta Force ). The M1911A1 is popular among the general public in the U.S. for practical and recreational purposes. The pistol is commonly used for concealed carry thanks in part to

8470-625: The U.S. military in general. Both U.S. Army Special Forces Units and SFOD-D continue to use modernized M1911s, such as the M45 MEU(SOC) and a modified version of the Colt Rail Gun (a 1911 model with an integrated picatinny rail on the underside of the frame) designated as the M45A1 CQBP (Close Quarters Battle Pistol). Browning's basic M1911 design has seen very little change throughout its production life. The basic principle of

8591-493: The US Civil War, had no internal safety to render them drop-safe, and were usually carried with an empty chamber under the hammer. Many original single-action revolvers have a half-cock "safety" notch on the hammer, but these are not drop-proof. Modern single-action revolvers, those made after the early 1970s, almost always have an internal safety, such as a hammer block or transfer bar. It is safe to carry such firearms with

8712-759: The Vietnam War era. Designed by John Browning , the M1911 is the best-known of his designs to use the short recoil principle in its basic design. The pistol was widely copied, and this operating system rose to become the preeminent type of the 20th century and of nearly all modern centerfire pistols. It is popular with civilian shooters in competitive events such as the International Defensive Pistol Association and International Practical Shooting Confederation . The U.S. military procured around 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols during its service life. The pistol served as

8833-419: The action and normally positioned to prevent the hammer contacting the cartridge primer or firing pin when at rest. Similar to the firing pin block, the obstruction to the hammer's travel is removed as a consequence of pulling the trigger. This allows the hammer to contact the primer or firing pin only when the trigger is pulled. A transfer bar is also used in revolvers and some exposed hammer rifles, but works

8954-408: The base of the hammer, that allows the sear to catch and hold the hammer a short distance from the pin or cartridge primer, in a " half-cocked " position. The safety notch works first by allowing the handler to retract the hammer a short distance from the firing pin or primer, such that dropping the firearm on its hammer will not result in an energy transfer to the pin or spur, which could then discharge

9075-521: The case of Colt -produced models) is a single-action , recoil-operated , semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge . The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 for the original model adopted in March 1911, and Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 for the improved M1911A1 model which entered service in 1926. The designation changed to Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1 in

9196-407: The chamber, which is accomplished by either pulling the slide back slightly and releasing, or by pushing down on the slide stop, which releases the slide to move forward under spring pressure, strip a fresh cartridge from the magazine, and feed it into the firing chamber. Other than grip screws there are no fasteners of any type in the 1911 design. The main components of the gun are held in place by

9317-416: The chamber. Such devices have been in existence for decades; strictly speaking, loaded chamber indicators are not safeties, nor are they efficacious with an untrained user. Another form of warning is an indicator behind the ejector port that does not rise enough to disrupt a shooter's sight picture , but enough to be easily seen or felt to alert a user that there is a round in the chamber. The opposite of

9438-408: The cocked hammer, and thus an inadvertent trigger pull is less likely. However, the act of cycling the action on such a firearm (as a natural consequence of discharging the firearm, or to chamber the first round) will leave the hammer cocked in single-action mode. To return the pistol to its safe state, it is necessary to uncock (decock) the hammer, usually by holding the hammer spur, carefully pulling

9559-463: The features that best fit their missions. The AMU performed a well-received demonstration of the first group of pistols to the Marine Corps at Quantico and various Special Operations units at Ft. Bragg and other locations. The project provided a feasibility study with insight into future projects. Models were loaned to various Special Operations units, the results of which are classified. An RFP

9680-411: The federal Gun Control Act of 1968 for imported guns. A safety notch is one of the oldest forms of drop safety, used on older single-action revolvers manufactured before the invention of the hammer block, some lever-action rifles, 1911 -pattern guns, and hammer-fired semi-automatics that were designed before the invention of the firing pin block. The safety notch is a relief cut made in the tumbler at

9801-501: The force of the main spring. The pistol can be "field stripped" by partially retracting the slide, removing the slide stop, and removing the barrel bushing. Full disassembly (and subsequent reassembly) of the pistol to its component parts can be accomplished using several manually removed components as tools to complete the disassembly. The military mandated a grip safety and a manual safety . A grip safety, sear disconnect, slide stop, half cock position, and manual safety (located on

9922-574: The frame/receiver with the arsenal's initials, such as RIA for Rock Island Armory or SA for Springfield Armory. Among collectors today, the Singer-produced pistols in particular are highly prized, commanding high prices even in poor condition. From 1943 to 1945 a fine-grade russet-leather M1916 pistol belt set was issued to some generals in the U.S. Army. It was composed of a leather belt, leather enclosed flap-holster with braided leather tie-down leg strap, leather two-pocket magazine pouch, and

10043-572: The full length of the recoil spring. This adds weight to the front of the pistol, but does not increase accuracy, and does make the pistol slightly more difficult to disassemble. As of 2002, custom guns could cost over and are built from scratch or on existing base models. Some notable companies offering custom M1911s include Dan Wesson Firearms , Les Baer , Nighthawk Custom , Springfield Custom Shop , and Wilson Combat . IPSC models are offered by BUL Armory , Strayer Voigt Inc ( Infinity Firearms ). Many military and law enforcement organizations in

10164-469: The government's selection period, during the late 1890s and early 1900s, up to the pistol's adoption. The M1911 officially replaced a range of revolvers and pistols across branches of the U.S. armed forces, though a number of other designs have seen use in certain niches. Despite being challenged by newer and lighter weight pistol designs in .45 caliber, such as the Glock 21 , the SIG Sauer P220 ,

10285-461: The grip is subsequently squeezed. Finally, if both the grip is squeezed and the trigger pulled simultaneously, the pistol will fire. Another, unusual variant was found in the Ortgies semi-automatic pistols. To disengage the safety, a user would squeeze a lever until flush with the rear of the grip. The lever then would latch in the disengaged position until the user released it again by pressing

10406-488: The gun during or after the unloading process. With a magazine disconnect depressing the trigger into a bullet trap or other safe direction, such as downrange, will not clear the round in the chamber because the trigger is disabled. When an empty magazine is inserted the firing system becomes reactivated, even though the trigger has been previously depressed. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute stated that an "obvious concern with magazine disconnect features

10527-486: The gun has not only been fully and completely cycled, but the trigger is released and squeezed again. This defines the behavior of semi-automatic firearms which require a separate trigger pull to fire each successive cartridge and ready the next, and this is the preferred mechanism of disengaging the trigger on repeating-action firearms. Older pump-action shotguns such as the Winchester Model 12 did not have such

10648-788: The gun to fire or the action to open, and an intermediate third position which cannot fire but allows the action to be opened to unload the rifle. Common manual safeties for shotguns include button safeties located near or in front of the trigger guard and located at the top rear (or "tang") of the receiver. Button safeties are either left- or right-handed, but safeties on tang are ambidextrous. Certain handguns manufactured with no external safety lever (on-off/armed-safe), such as single-action revolvers, double-action revolvers, and Glock pistols, can have one added by aftermarket companies. [REDACTED] The dictionary definition of molly-guard at Wiktionary M1911 pistol The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911 , Colt 1911 or Colt Government in

10769-584: The gun with the manual safety in the safe position. The safety must be OFF to clear the weapon. In the M&;P design, the slide can be manually actuated and a chambered round ejected with the manual safety in safe position. One possible benefit of the slide-safety lock may be that, upon holstering, the slide cannot be snagged and hung up out of battery. Manual Safeties are the oldest forms of "active" safety mechanism and are widely used; however, many "double-action" firearms such as revolvers do not have manual safeties as

10890-557: The handler may decock the firearm by pushing down on the safety lever from the "Fire" setting, or engage the safety (even on a cocked firearm) by pushing the lever upwards. A simpler "two-way" system was popularized by the Walther PP and is also commonly seen on the Beretta 92 : engaging the safety also decocks the firearm. The SIG Sauer line of pistols, such as the SIG P226 , frequently feature decocking levers. The earliest use of

11011-418: The interlock helps prevent misfires due to a cartridge not being fully in battery when its primer is struck by the pin (known as firing "out of battery"). Passing handguns or rifles to another person with the action open (known as "show clear") is recommended by elementary gun safety . A magazine disconnect feature does not allow a user to fire the gun when the magazine is withdrawn (even partially) by means of

11132-491: The late 1970s, the M1911A1 was acknowledged to be showing its age. Under political pressure from Congress to standardize on a single modern pistol design, the U.S. Air Force ran a Joint Service Small Arms Program to select a new semi-automatic pistol using the NATO -standard 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. After trials, the Beretta 92S-1 was chosen. The Army contested this result and subsequently ran its own competition in 1981,

11253-423: The late 1990s and early 2000s include a mandatory integral locking mechanisms that must be deactivated by a unique key before the gun can be fired. These integral locking mechanisms are intended as child-safety devices during unattended storage of the firearm—not as safety mechanisms while carrying. Other devices in this category are trigger locks , bore locks, and gun safes. The most common form of safety mechanism

11374-448: The left rear of the frame) are on all standard M1911A1s. Several companies have developed a firing pin block safety . Colt's 80 series uses a trigger operated one and several other manufacturers, including Kimber and Smith & Wesson, use a Swartz firing-pin safety, which is operated by the grip safety. Language cautioning against pulling the trigger with the second finger was included in the initial M1911 manual and later manuals up to

11495-399: The longer, harder trigger pull to cock and fire double-action provides adequate trigger safety, while keeping the firearm in a more ready state. A grip safety is a lever or other device situated on the grip of a firearm which must be actuated by the operator's hand, as a natural consequence of holding the firearm in a firing position, in order for the firearm to fire. It is usually similar to

11616-417: The magazine but forgets that a round has been chambered. Also, if losing possession of the firearm is imminent, the operator can render the firearm useless by removing the magazine. Firearms expert Massad Ayoob found instances where during a struggle, police officers carrying a pistol with a magazine disconnect were able to prevent being shot with their own guns by ejecting the magazine. One disadvantage of

11737-399: The magazine disconnect is that it may add tension to components of the trigger mechanism, making the trigger pull uneven or heavy. A safety argument against a magazine disconnect is that if a round is left in a chamber due to extractor failure or other reason the firearm will revert to being live unexpectedly when an empty magazine is reinserted. This is a danger because the user may dry fire

11858-534: The mid-1920s. The Director of Civilian Marksmanship began manufacture of M1911 pistols for members of the National Rifle Association of America in August 1912. Approximately 100 pistols stamped "N.R.A." below the serial number were manufactured at Springfield Armory and by Colt. The M1911 was formally adopted by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in 1913. The .45 ACP "Model of 1911 U.S. Army"

11979-421: The new .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge. These three still had issues that needed correction, but only Colt and Savage resubmitted their designs. There is some debate over the reasons for DWM's withdrawal—some say they felt there was bias and that the DWM design was being used primarily as a " whipping boy " for the Savage and Colt pistols, though this does not fit well with the earlier 1900 purchase of

12100-501: The new pistol "should not be of less than .45 caliber" and would preferably be semi-automatic in operation. This led to the 1906 trials of pistols from six firearms manufacturing companies (namely, Colt , Bergmann , Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM), Savage Arms , Knoble, Webley , and White-Merrill). Of the six designs submitted, three were eliminated early on, leaving only the Savage , Colt, and DWM designs chambered in

12221-403: The opposite way from a hammer block. The transfer bar has the spur that would otherwise be on the hammer, or encloses a firing pin similar to autoloading designs. The hammer itself cannot contact a loaded cartridge, but must instead strike the transfer bar, which then contacts the cartridge primer with the spur or pin. The transfer bar is normally positioned out of line with the hammer's travel, but

12342-403: The pistol is recoil operation. As the expanding combustion gases force the bullet down the barrel, they give reverse momentum to the slide and barrel which are locked together during this portion of the firing cycle. After the bullet has left the barrel, the slide and barrel continue rearward a short distance. At this point, a link pivots the rear of the barrel down, out of locking recesses in

12463-708: The resultant surge in demand for the firearm in World War I saw the expansion of manufacture to other contractors besides Colt and Springfield Armory, including Remington- UMC and North American Arms Co. of Quebec. Several other manufacturers were awarded contracts to produce the M1911, including the National Cash Register Company , the Savage Arms Company, the Caron Brothers Manufacturing of Montreal,

12584-689: The round, the 9×19mm Parabellum with fifty weapons chambered for it tested by the U.S. Army in 1903. American units fighting Tausūg guerrillas in the Moro Rebellion in Sulu during the Philippine–American War using the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver, .38 Long Colt , found it to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare , particularly in terms of stopping power , as the Moros had high battle morale and often used drugs to inhibit

12705-402: The safety. Most traditional semi-automatic double-action/single action (DA/SA) pistols are designed to be carried with the hammer down (uncocked) on a chambered round, with or without a manual safety engaged. The pistol is considered safe in this state as the "double-action" pull that both cocks and fires the firearm is both longer and heavier than the "single-action" pull that simply releases

12826-599: The sensation of pain. The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt caliber, which had been standard during the late 19th century; the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen. The problems prompted the Chief of Ordnance , General William Crozier , to authorize further testing for a new service pistol. Following the 1904 Thompson-LaGarde pistol round effectiveness tests, Colonel John T. Thompson stated that

12947-422: The slide, and the barrel is stopped by making contact with the lower barrel lugs against the frame. As the slide continues rearward, a claw extractor pulls the spent casing from the firing chamber and an ejector strikes the rear of the case, pivoting the casing out and away from the pistol through the ejection port. The slide stops its rearward motion then, and is propelled forward again by the recoil spring to strip

13068-521: The standard-issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985. It was widely used in World War I , World War II , the Korean War , and the Vietnam War . The M1911A1 was replaced by the adoption of the 9mm Beretta M9 pistol as the standard U.S. military sidearm in 1985. However, the U.S. Army did not officially replace the M1911A1 with the Beretta M9 until October 1986; production and procurement delays kept

13189-410: The striker, and the mechanism is designed to have insufficient force to ignite the primer of an active cartridge from this state even if the sear lock and firing pin block both fail. Rifles come with various safeties. Some use a cross-bolt safety button, others a wing safety at the rear, or even a "half-cock" notch (such as found on older lever-action rifles). The Winchester Model 94 originally utilized

13310-419: The time. The United States was adopting new firearms at a phenomenal rate; several new pistols and two all-new service rifles ( M1892/96/98 Krag and M1895 Navy Lee ), as well as a series of revolvers by Colt and Smith & Wesson for the Army and Navy, were adopted just in that decade. The next decade would see a similar pace, including the adoption of several more revolvers and an intensive search for

13431-423: The trigger is depressed. Third, as with most pistols, a firing pin block actuated by the same extension bar prevents the pin coming into contact with the primer unless the trigger is pulled to clear the block. Although not generally considered a safety feature, the resting state of the gun (excluding a dry/misfire) has the striker in a "half-cocked" state; pulling the trigger will fully cock the weapon before releasing

13552-454: The trigger pull or prevent the firing pin from detonating the cartridge or both. Firearms with the ability to allow the user to select various fire modes may have separate switches for safety and for mode selection (e.g. Thompson submachine gun ) or may have the safety integrated with the mode selector as a fire selector with positions from safe to semi-automatic to full-automatic fire (e.g. M16 rifle ). Some firearms manufactured after

13673-399: The trigger, and then slowly lowering the hammer on the firing pin. Hammer-fired semi-auto pistols have a beaver tail to protect the shooter's hand from the slide, which makes it more difficult to securely and firmly grasp the hammer with the thumb than a double action/single action revolver, thus making an accidental discharge more likely. Striker-fired pistols, on the other hand, do not have

13794-740: The use of M1911 pistols for selected personnel in MEU(SOC) and reconnaissance units (though the USMC also purchased over 50,000 M9 pistols. ) For its part, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a requirement for a .45 ACP pistol in the Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) trials. This resulted in the Heckler & Koch OHWS becoming the MK23 Mod 0 Offensive Handgun Weapon System (itself being heavily based on

13915-613: The user, the 92FS, and updates to the ammunition used. During the Gulf War of 1990–1991, M1911A1s were deployed with reserve component U.S. Army units sent to participate in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. By the early 1990s, most M1911A1s had been replaced by the Beretta M9 , though a limited number remain in use by special units. The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) in particular were noted for continuing

14036-543: The war. At the end of hostilities the government cancelled all contracts for further production and made use of existing stocks of weapons to equip personnel. Many of these weapons had seen service use, and had to be rebuilt and refinished prior to being issued. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s thousands of 1911s and 1911A1s were refurbished at U.S. arsenals and service depots. These rebuilds consisted of anything from minor inspections to major overhauls. Pistols that were refurbished at government arsenals will usually be marked on

14157-407: The wood grip panels were replaced with panels made of brown plastic. The M1911A1 was a favored small arm of both U.S. and allied military personnel during the war. In particular, the pistol was prized by some British commando units and Britain's highly covert Special Operations Executive , as well as South African Commonwealth forces. The M1911A1 pistol was produced in very large quantities during

14278-433: The years leading up to it created a great demand. During the war, about 1.9 million units were procured by the U.S. Government for all forces, production being undertaken by several manufacturers, including Remington Rand (900,000 produced), Colt (400,000), Ithaca Gun Company (400,000), Union Switch & Signal (50,000), and Singer (500). New M1911A1 pistols were given a parkerized metal finish instead of bluing, and

14399-458: Was designated the M45 MEU(SOC). Hand-selected Colt M1911A1 frames were gutted, deburred and were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, ambidextrous thumb safeties, triggers, improved high-visibility sights, accurized barrels, grips, and improved Wilson magazines. These hand-made pistols were tuned to specifications and preferences of end users. In the late 1980s, the Marines laid out

14520-525: Was issued for a Joint Combat Pistol but it was ultimately canceled. Currently, units are experimenting with an M1911 pistol in .40 S&W , which will incorporate lessons learned from the A2 project. Ultimately, the M1911A2 project provided a testbed for improving existing M1911s. An improved M1911 variant becoming available in the future is a possibility. The Springfield Custom Professional Model 1911A1 pistol

14641-475: Was used by both U.S. Army Cavalry troops and infantry soldiers during the United States' Punitive Expedition into Mexico against Pancho Villa in 1916. By the beginning of 1917, a total of 68,533 M1911 pistols had been delivered to U.S. armed forces by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and the U.S. government's Springfield Armory . However, the need to greatly expand U.S. military forces and

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